Foot traffic in downtown Austin
A new report is showing foot traffic in downtown made a pretty dramatic downturn last year, not unexpectedly. Citing the pandemic, the Downtown Austin Alliances Jenell Moffett says the pandemic also flushed out a majority of the downtown workforce.
“As much as 60% of downtown occupations are considered remote compatible. So the data shown is reflective of that. Compared to 2019 downtown office visits dropped by almost 90% in april” Moffett says.
As COVID orders are easing, they are noticing an uptick of office workers coming back to downtown, but she notes it’s still nowhere near pre pandemic levels.
COVID-19 update
1,030 cases of COVID are said to be active this morning around Austin and Travis County, including 151 in the hospital. The number of active cases is actually down by almost 50 from a day ago. But hospitalizations have ticked upward somewhat. 81,550 cases flagged by Austin Public health, 79,700 people have made a recovery.
Today is the day Austin Public Health will be opening up its new walk up vaccination clinic beginning at noon. Those wanting a vaccine can head to the Delco Center at 4601 Pecan Brook Drive. No appointment needed and vaccines will be provided through 7:30 this evening or until supplies run out. And there will be another clinic held tomorrow as well.
Police reform
Austin’s Community Police Review Commission has gotten some feedback from the public this week on reforms they’d like to see in policing. Paula Rojas with the Reimagining Public Safety Task force tells KVUE there needs to be a significant shift to the culture of police departments.
“These are all ideas of what we could do differently, where we could put our money to reduce the need for policing and create a safer city, a more just city, a more equitable city,” says Rojas.
She says the system itself is the problem, which she believes produces bad cops.
So Austin City Council could vote to remove the city’s 911 call center from the purview of the Police Department. Today, city leaders are considering creating the emergency communications division to handle that role separately from APD. Kevin Lawrence with the Texas Municipal Police Association says it’s really not that uncommon.
“Even Williamson County has a dispatch system that is separate from the sheriff’s office. If approved, the city would take more than $16 million and 220 civilian staffers from APD and throw them into that new brand new division,” says Lawrence.
Playing The Eyes of Texas
The University of Texas says longhorn band members will be required to play The Eyes Of Texas. University officials say they are, however, giving students options. The longhorn band and the Longhorn pep band will still be required to play the school’s alma mater and fight song, but they are also creating a brand new band starting in the fall 2022 semester that would allow students to take part in the marching band but not require them to play The Eyes of Texas. Officials add scholarship students who decide to leave the Longhorn band will not lose their scholarship for the 2021-22 school year.
Controversial books
Some authors of books that have been removed this year from the Leander School District Book Club have penned a letter to district officials when parents started expressing outrage this year over books involving graphic sex, gay and transgender issues. Superintendent Bruce Gearing said they probably should have handled the issue differently.
“It’s part of our process of deciding what goes on those lists. We really feel like we misstepped in reviewing some of those materials adequately,” says Gearing.
Since then, some books have been removed from the Book Club. But 20 authors now say in that letter to the district, they think it’s “morally necessary for kids to talk about these subjects”. The district hasn’t responded and titles in the book club are still in a review.
I am Vanessa Guillén Act
The Texas House is urging Congress to pass the I am Vanessa Guillén Act. The federal I am Vanessa Guillén Act would revamp how the military addresses sexual assault and harassment in the ranks. Legislation was filed in the House and Senate last september but it hasn’t moved since.
“This resolution is our sympathy card to the family. This resolution urges Congress to take action through the I am Vanessa Guillén Act,” says Morales.
State Rep Christina Morales filed the resolution. State Senator Carol Alvarado filed the companion bill in the Texas Senate.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-4-22-21
